Top Baby Names of 2017

BabyCenter®, the #1 pregnancy and parenting web and mobile destination, today released its much-anticipated Top 100 Names of 2017. Sophia reigns as the top girls’ name for the eighth year running, and Jackson leads the boys for the fifth year in a row.

“Sophia is shaping up to be the girls’ name of the decade. It has a lot going for it: It’s feminine, lyrical, popular in many languages, and available in multiple spellings,” says Linda Murray, BabyCenter Global Editor in Chief. “Jackson is having a great run on the boys’ list. It’s strong, masculine, and modern.”

Reflecting the varied interests and values of Millennial and Gen Z moms and dads, famous pop-culture figures from rap stars to Disney heroines emerged as name influencers, along with basketball champs and, interestingly, colors. The earth and its weather inspired names, too. “Young parents have deep respect and concern for the environment. Storms, climate change, and the sheer beauty found in nature are driving a whole new category of popular baby names,” says Murray. (See below for more detail on the top trends of 2017.)

Top 10 Baby Names of2017

Girls

Boys

1.

Sophia

Jackson

2.

Olivia

Liam

3.

Emma

Noah

4.

Ava

Aiden

5.

Isabella

Lucas

6.

Mia

Caden

7.

Aria

Grayson (NEW)

8.

Riley

Mason

9.

Zoe

Elijah

10.

Amelia (NEW)

Logan (NEW)

Hottest Baby Name Trends of2017

Role-model rappersRappers aren’t just making good music, they’re doing good works – and making an impression on parents. Who’s hot?

Chance (as in Chance the Rapper) jumped 21 percent in popularity on our boys’ list. The artist has won accolades for his music and his work to improve public schools and fight gun violence. Kendrick Lamar was labeled “the greatest rapper alive” by Rolling Stone and has spoken out against gun violence; Kendrick climbed 9 percent.

Queen – as in longtime star Queen Latifah, a supporter of LGBT rights, girls’ education, and veterans – ascended 41 percent on our girls’ list. Dre (as in Dr. Dre, a force in rap for decades and a major donor for an interdisciplinary arts and technology program) is up 40 percent.

True colorsBeyoncé and Jay-Z fueled a color trend when they named their daughter Blue Ivy in 2012, and it’s still going strong. This year the name Blue sailed up our popularity lists by 14 percent for boys and 9 percent for girls, Lavender lifted 27 percent for girls, and Red rose 16 percent for boys.

New parents are thinking beyond the rainbow, too, choosing less common colors such as Hazel (up 88 percent for boys and 25 percent for girls), Ivory (up 71 percent for boys and 42 percent for girls), and Ebony (up 35 percent for girls).

Baller namesPlenty of moms- and dads-to-be were inspired when big rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors faced off in the NBA Finals for the third time.

For boys, the name LeBron (as in James, of the Cavaliers) soared 64 percent this year. Kyrie (Irving, formerly of the Cavs) leaped by 39 percent, and Kevin (Love, of the Cavs, and Durant, of the Warriors) floated up 9 percent.

For girls, Zhuri – the name of LeBron James’s young daughter – scored an impressive 81 percent lift in popularity.

Newcomer and spunky heroine Moana made a splash: The name surged up 64 percent for baby girls. Brainy, independent Belle (from Beauty and the Beast, released this year in a live-action version) rose 23 percent. And tenacious dreamer Tiana, Disney’s first African American princess, ticked up 2 percent.

Names from old Disney favorites are doing well, too. Ariel (The Little Mermaid) bobbed up 22 percent for girls, Nala (The Lion King) jumped 8 percent for girls, and Jasmine (Aladdin) crept up 1 percent and is poised to break into the girls’ top 100 list soon.

Earthy names on the rise include River (up 26 percent for girls and 6 percent for boys), Forest (up 26 percent for boys), and Willow (up 32 percent for girls). Some parents are picking weather-related monikers such as Storm (up 44 percent for girls), Sky (up 20 percent for girls), and Cloud (up 23 percent for boys). Ember raced up the charts for both boys (up 47 percent) and girls (up 28 percent), while Blaze heated up 19 percent for boys.

BabyCenter’s Top 100 Baby Names list is based on the names of more than 500,000 babies born in 2017 to parents registered on the BabyCenter website. The list combines names that sound the same but have different spellings, making it a true measure of baby name popularity.

BabyCenter serves parents around the world, not just in the United States. See our Canadian top 100 names list and our Hispanic top 100 names list (based on names registered on our Spanish-language site, BabyCenter en Español, by Hispanic parents in the United States and in 22 Spanish-speaking countries).

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